Carrying device for medical and veterinary use

ABSTRACT

A lifting and carrying device comprising a frame and flexible battens having variable attachment means adapted to co-operate with corresponding means on the frame. The battens are adapted to be tensioned so that substantially equal support is given to all parts of the body. The frame is raised slightly in relation to the body to be lifted to ensure that proper tensioning of the battens is achieved.

United States Patent Jordan et al.

[ Reissued Nov. 25, 1975 CARRYING DEVICE FOR MEDICAL AND VETERINARY USEFiled: Aug. 20, 1974 Appl. No.: 499,037

Related U.S. Patent Documents Reissue of:

Patent No.: Issued: Appl. No.: Filed:

3,740,778 June 26, 1973 234,548

Mar. 14, 1972 Foreign Application Priority Data [51] int. Cl. A471)83/04; A61g 1/02 [58] Field of Search 5/82, 83. 86, 89, 317

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,614,266 10/1952 Smith 5/823,203,009 8/1965 Lundberg... 5/81 R 3,259,922 7/1966 Fischer 5/86Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or FirmWenderoth,Lind & Ponack [57] ABSTRACT A lifting and carrying device comprising aframe and flexible battens having variable attachment means adapted toco-operate with corresponding means on the frame. The battens areadapted to be tensioned so that substantially equal support is given toall parts of Mar. 19, 1971 Austral a 4369/71 the body. The frame israised g y in relation to the Nov. 24, 1971 Australia 7155/71 b d t b dtm t t f Mar. 16, 1971 Australia 4326/71 e ensure a pmpe" ensmnmg thebattens 15 achieved.

U.S. Cl 5/82; 5/86 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Reissued Nov. 25, 1975Sheet 1 of 3 Re. 28,620

Reissued Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 Re. 28,620

Sheet 3 of 3 Re. 28,620

Reissued Nov. 25, 1975 1 CARRYING DEVICE FOR MEDICAL AND VETERINARY USEMatter enclosed in heavy brackets I: appears in the original patent butforms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italicsindicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention is concerned with solving the problem of preventingfurther injury occurring to accident victims or disabled persons causedby the need to move them.

The fundamental cause of these further injuries is not simply that grossbody movement occurs but that the support offered by conventionalcarrying apparatus is inefflcient. The support offered by conventionalcanvas stretchers, for instance and indeed by the several devicesdesigned to overcome the problems of moving persons, is such that theweight of the body is supported at only a few points in the stretchermainly where the shoulder and buttocks contact the stretcher.

In order to place the accident victim on to a conventional stretcher itis necessary to lift him from the supine position. Several devices havebeen designed to overcome the need to lift the victim, one of thesedevices comprising a stretcher frame combined with battens which can beslid under the patient and clipped onto the frame utilizing a curved lipon the ends of the battens. ln practise these battens are difficult toslide under patients and equally difficult to clip onto the frame. Alsoany upward force from beneath the patient would dislodge the battensfrom the frame. However the most serious drawback is that this devicesimply simulated the conventional stretcher once the patient was inposition, the body weight being effectively supported by only a few ofthe battens, thus causing the body to shift, once it was lifted.

it has been recognized for some time that in moving injured personsequal support should be given to various parts of the body to reducebody movement to a minimum. A very effective manual system called theRautek lift is used by ambulance officers in the handling of injuredpersons. In this method a number of persons (minimum is three) standlaterally astride the prone or supine body and using their hands supportthe body, primarily at head, shoulders, buttocks and legs, in an evenmanner so that any injuries are not aggravated.

The Ratek technique is also used for persons injured in the sittingposition (as in automobile accidents) whereby the person is lifted insuch a way that the sitting posture is maintained, and the vital spinaland pelvic areas supported by the knee of the person lifting the injuredperson.

Thus the principal object of this invention is to simply mechanise theRautek lift especially for the handling of persons with spinal orsimilar injury so that the use of the invention will not only decreasethe number of times a person is required to be moved before treatmentcommences but primarily is concerned with providing adequate support tothe injured person so that all parts or vital parts of the body aresubstantially equally and correctly supported.

The invention also aims at the provision of a support system, desired bythe medical profession for accident victims or disabled persons whichcan be used in a variety of circumstances to which the patient issubjected.

2 Thus it should be, capable of being used in all accident or liftingenvironments, be reusable with the minimum of sterilization proceduresrequired and be translucent to X-rays, so that the patient is notrequired to be moved when X-rays are taken prior to treatment.

According to the present invention there is provided a carrying devicefor medical or veterinary use where the posture of the body to be liftedand carried is not to be disturbed, comprising a frame adapted to assumea position around or about the body to be lifted, flexible batten means,adapted to be slid under the body, having variable attachment meansadapted to cooperate with corresponding means on said frame to securesaid batten to said frame, and means adapted to elevate said framerelative to the body to be lifted the length of the batten supportingthe body being adjustable by said variable attachment means so that theposture of the body is maintained undisturbed with all parts effectivelysupported by the individual adjustment of the said respective battens bysaid variable attachment means.

Conveniently the frame may be of any suitable material of sufficientstrength to support a body and can be in any desired configuration.Normally this will be a simple rectangular frame for use instead of theconventional stretcher in accident cases but it can also be varied formoving patients from chairs or beds either in the sitting or supinepositions. The rectangular frame for accident use has on its undersideshortlegs or other suitable means to raise the top part of the framesufficiently above ground level so that the battens can be suitablytensioned and varied in length to accept a portion of the body weight.In moving patients from wheel chairs into car seats or from one seat toanother or from beds etc. without disturbing the patients posture theframe is placed around or about the patients, depending on thecircumstances and the battens are slid underneath the body and securedto the frame.

The device according to this invention thus simulates the Rautek liftbut in a more efflcient manner as the flexible battens extendingunderneath the body are comparable to the hands and knees of the personssupporting and carrying the patient as taught in the Rautek technique.

It is important that the frame be elevated in relation to the patientsbody. Preferably the frame is at least three inches above the base levelof the body i.e. ground level if the patient is on the ground. Thiselevation is necessary so that as tension is taken on the flexiblebattens it can easily be handled so that part of the weight which wassupported by the ground is now taken by the tensioned flexible battens.The result of this tensioning is a shortening or lengthening of theeffective length of the flexible batten.

The tensioning of the battens ensures that each batten is properlysupporting a portion of the body so that the body is supported at asmany points as there are flexible battens. The usual tension taken infixing the flexible battens to the frame is about six pounds.

In the case of lifting in a sitting position, the batten to support themain body weight is so shaped that the spinal area is supported by thebatten along the line of fixing. in this instance the support is atleast 9 inches below the frame. This may also apply with patients liftedfrom beds in the supine or prone positions.

Another frame which may be used instead of the conventional stretchermay include a false frame disposed at that end of the frame where thehead and shoulders of the patient lie. This false frame can be raised toform an inclined platform, when the flexible battens are secured. forthe head and shoulders. The battens are secured in the normal way andthen the false frame is raised and locked in position to provide theinclined support.

Conveniently the flexible battens may be of any suitable material andare usually long enough to extend laterally across the frame either atright angles to it or obliquely to form a criss-cross pattern dependingupon the use required. The battens must be stiff enough to be slid undera body so that they can be secured to the frame.

When a body is in a supine position the parts of the body requiringsupport are not in the same plane and some of the flexible battens willrequire more curvature (that is greater length) than others, dependingon which part of the body is supported. Thus when the body is lifted itwill have precisely the same or im proved posture that it assumed in thesupine position.

Any suitable fastening means for securing the battens to the frame maybe used but they should preferably be easily fastened and difficult toremove while the body is in position.

A preferred fastening arrangement is the provision of headed orshouldered spigots on the frame and corresponding holes to closelyaccommodate said spigots on the battens. Usually there is one hole atone end of a batten and a series of holes on the other end to provide avariable length batten. This series of holes may be staggered and not ina straight line to allow for closer spacing and smaller difference inlength of the batten corresponding to each hole.

In order to prevent the battens from easily disengag ing the spigots andto also allow easy securing of the batten to the frame. the spigots areinclined inwardly on the frame and are shouldered or headed. The battencurving upward toward the frame will be approximately perpendicular tothe spigot and would be easily attachable. Any force applied under thebody forcing the batten upward would alter this angle and because ofthis the accidental removal of the batten is difficult.

The supporting flexible batten used to carry the head is preferablywider than the other battens and preferably includes an inflatable aircushion to support the head and prevent it rolling while the frame isbeing moved.

The preferred flexible battens used in the present invention arecomposed of high density polyethylene or high density P.V.C. The edgesof these battens are preferably polished and buffed to eliminate surfacedeformities as such irregularities which can collect undesirable matterwhich in turn affect the battens translucency to X-rays and imposemisleading blemishes to the X-ray picture. The flexible battens areselected for their translucency to X-rays as this avoids having to movethe patient from the frame while X-rays are taken.

The preferred flexible battens are easily cleansed and sterilized bywiping with alcohol or a sterilization agent prior to use and do notpresent the sterilization and cleansing problems associated withconventional stretchers or lifting devices.

In order to allow for ease in sliding the flexible battens under thepatients body, towards the leading edge they are tapered and reduced incross section to decrease resistance.

The battens are usually of approximately rectangular shape (tapered atleading end) especially when used on stretchers but may be of differentdesign when used for lifting in the sitting position. The battensupporting the patients back in a chair frame may for example be of anelongated diamond shape, wide in the centre. tapering toward each end.

The batten for use as a seat is preferably of a special designcomprising a U-shaped batten having 2 support points. The perpendicularbisector of the line through these two points will pass through the lineof weight due to the pelvic thrust of the patient. This line of weightis through the buttock bones of the patients body and as his weight isconcentrated there it is difficult to insert the batten. For this reasonan approximately half oval section is cut out of the seat portion sothat the seat batten is inserted around the buttocks with theperpendicular bisector of the line between the two support points oneach side lying within the plane of the buttock bones of the patient. Toaid insertion of buttock batten a further batten is placed behind theknee which raises the thighs.

The frames encompassed within this invention may be handled manually orby using a lifting apparatus comprising a base, a vertical support armand an adjustable jib arm having at its free end means adapted to secure the frame. This apparatus may be stationary or mobile wherein thebase is a wheeled chassis.

The jib is preferably adjustable by an hydraulic jacking mechanism. Thejib arm preferably has a pivotable frame securing means which secure theframe about its centre of gravity to stabilize it. This mobile liftingapparatus is extremely useful with incapacitated patients requiring tobe lifted in a sitting position for instance. The jib arm extends acrossthe front of the patient and holds the seat batten described above sothat the patients weight acts parallel to the perpendicular bisector ofthe mid point of the two support points. One or more back supportbattens extend behind the patients back to maintain the sittingposition.

A mobile lifting device of this construction may be used to transportinvalids from bed to a vehicle and can insert the seated patient througha vehicle doorway and place them in the seat. The suspended chair orbody frame is pivotable both horizontally and vertically at the end ofthe jib arm. Similarly patients who are required to be lifted in thesupine position off beds etc. can be so moved by this unit.

A practical arrangement of the invention will now be described inrelation to the drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show views of the stretcher according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a batten for use on these stretehers;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrates the batten to be used for supporting theweight of a patient in a seated or supine position;

FIG. 6 illustrates the mobile lifting apparatus according to theinvention; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a patient in the supine position supported by theapparatus shown in FIG. 6.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, the frame I is formed from 1inch tubular steel and weighs approxi mately 6 pounds. The frame iscoated with P.V.C. An embodiment not illustrated includes a foldingframe for easy storage. The frame is elevated by supports 20 to allowfor easy tensioning of the flexible battens during use. The P.V.C. orhigh density polyethylene battens 2 have holes 3 which cooperate withspigots 4 on the frame 1. The spigots are inclined inwardly of the frameto provide secure attachment of the battens to the frame. As is shown aseries of holes are provided at one end of the batten so that itseffective length is adjustable. The holes may be staggered to provide afiner ad justment to the effective length. The battens may be crossed asshown in FIG. 1 if extra support for a particular part of the body isrequired.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show a batten for use as a seat on the mobile liftingapparatus shown in FIG. 6. The holes 5 are so positioned that thebisecting line 6 will lie in the plane through which the weight of thebody acts. The cut away section 7 avoids sliding the seat under thatpart of the body where the weight is concentrated.

In FIG. 6 the wheeled chassis 8 carries the vertical support arm 9 fromwhich the hydraulically adjustable jib arm 10 extends. The jib armpivots vertically at 11 and can be raised or lowered by telescoping arm12 operated by a fluid extending from the fluid reservoir 13 and pumpedby operating lever 14.

A vertical pivot 15 allows the frame 16 to be rotated in a horizontalplane while the pivot 17 allows for rotation in a vertical plane.

Spigots 18 are adapted to support battens shown in FIG. 2 or that shownin FIGS. 3 to S.

If the body is to be supported in a sitting position spigots on the arm19 of the frame 16 are used to support battens extending around the backof the patient.

FIG. 7 shows a patient lying on a bed 20 in position to be lifted by theapparatus of FIG. 6. The head batten 21 supports the head and it can beseen that this batten and each of the other battens 22 vary in thedistance they extend below the frame. A batten is placed under the kneesthe thighs, the small of the back and at several points between thesmall of the back and the shoulders, and a further batten is placedunder the upper part of the shoulders at the base of the neck. It can beseen in FIG. 7 that the effective length of each batten between thesides of the frame varies according to the position of that part of thebody which it supports. For a patient in the supine position those partsof the body in which the body weight is concentrated (e.g. buttocks andshoulders) will be lower than other parts such as the knees and thesmall of the back.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides aunique means of moving injured or invalid persons or animals withoutaggravating their injuries by disturbing the assumed posture.

This prime advantage is supplemented by the eradling effect of thebattens due to their extending below the plane of the frame andpartially holding the sides of the patient to prevent any laterialmovement of the patients body.

A further advantage is that in certain circumstances such as wherestomach injuries have been inflicted, it is desirable to place thepatient into an assumed posture (in a partially bent posture) to affordbetter protection. This can easily be achieved using the carrying deviceaccording to the above invention, the weight of the various parts of thebody being substantially equally supported as described above.

A still further advantage, afforded by one aspect of the invention, isthat incapacitated persons, may be moved with the minimum ofdisturbance, no change in position being required.

We claim:

1. A carrying device for medical or veterinary use comprising:

a frame having side members joined by end members.

support means dependent from said frame for supporting said frame atleast 3 inches above the surface on which it is supported;

a plurality of flexible battens adapted to extend said side members,each of said spigots being inclined inwardly of said frame;

A plurality of flexible battens adapted to extend across said frame andattachable to said spigots of each of said side members, [the ends ofsaid battens being tapered] and each of said battens having means forselectively adjusting the effective length thereof when attached to saidside members, said means for adjusting comprising a plurality of holesspaced along each of said battens, said holes being dimensioned toreceive said spigots.

2. A carrying device for medical or veterinary use comprising:

a lifting apparatus including a wheeled chassis, a vertical support armcarried by said chassis, an adjustable jib attached to said support arm,and means for adjusting said jib in a vertical plane with respect tosaid support arm;

a frame supported from said jib and including side members joined by endmembers and having a plurality of headed spigots spaced along each ofsaid side members, each of said spigots being inclined inwardly of saidframe; and

plurality of flexible battens adapted to extend across said frame andattachable to said spigots of each of said side members, each of saidbattens having means for selectively adjusting the effective lengththereof when attached to said side members, said means for adjustingcomprising a plurality of holes spaced along each of said battens, saidholes being dimensioned to receive said spigots.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends of said battens aretapered.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPATENT NO. I Re. 28,620

DATED I November 25, 1975 INV ENTOR(S) 1 Donald Alfred Jordan andLaurence John Hartnett It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 20, "a plurality of flexible battens adapted to extend"should be a plurality of beaded spigots spaced along each of Column 6,line 23, "A." should be a Signed and Scaled this Twenty-seventh Day OfSeptember 1977 [SEAL] A ttest:

RUTH C. MASON LUTRELLE F. PARKER Arresting Oflicer Acting Commissionerof Patents and Trademarks

1. A carrying device for medical or veterinary use comprising: a framehaving side members joined by end members. support means dependent fromsaid frame for supporting said frame at least 3 inches above the surfaceon which it is supported; a plurality of headed spigots spaced alongeach of said side members, each of said spigots being inclined inwardlyof said frame; A plurality of flexible battens adapted to extend acrosssaid frame and attachable to said spigots of each of said side members,(the ends of said battens being tapered) and each of said battens havingmeans for selectively adjusting the effective length thereof whenattached to said side members, said means for adjusting comprising aplurality of holes spaced along each of said battens, said holes beingdimensioned to receive said spigots.
 2. A carrying device for medical orveterinary use comprising: a lifting apparatus including a wheeledchassis, a vertical support arm carried by said chassis, an adjustablejib attached to said support arm, and means for adjusting said jib in avertical plane with respect to said support arm; a frame supported fromsaid jib and including side members joined by end members and having aplurality of headed spigots spaced along each of said side members, eachof said spigots being inclined inwardly of said frame; and a pluralityof flexible battens adapted to extend across said frame and attachableto said spigots of each of said side members, each of said battenshaving means for selectively adjusting the effective length thereof whenattached to said side members, said means for adjusting comprising aplurality of holes spaced along each of said battens, said holes beingdimensioned to receive said spigots.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the ends of said battens are tapered.